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Other People’s Problems

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Re: Other People’s Problems

#141

Post by mech422 »

goodcanadian wrote: post #134
mech422 wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

while I agree we need some sort of nationalized health care and should learn from the countries that have implemented it, I'm not sure thats the strong success you think it is? Just recently we had a bunch of comments here on HN about how bad candian health care can be if you live in the 'wrong' area. UK has had issues with NHS for decades at least (hell, they ALSO have 'private' insurance which seems to be almost a…

As a Canadian who has lived in the United States and in the United Kingdom, I can say without a doubt that both Canada and the UK beat the US "system" by a mile. While their universal healthcare can have problems, the problems in the US system are far worse.

Yeah - I have family in both countries (parents: mom & family from Leeds, dad and family from London cousins: I don't actually know where in Canada they are now)

Obviously, there is a lot of good stuff we can copy/learn from both countries. The thing is to make sure we can iron out as many issues as possible (large population and geographic area mostly) before we attempt something and having politicians claim it "doesn't work".

Seem my response to isleyaardvark above for my (stupid) idea to try to us the VA hospitals to test bed some of this.

Thanks!

Re: Other People’s Problems

#142

Post by JohnFen »

samus wrote: post #90
JohnFen wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My general experience is often people think problems are easy to solve from the outside because they just don't understand the problem. This. And not just for personal problems. I have a rule when I start working in a new place to not offer any real criticisms or unsolicited advice for the first year. This is because it's very likely that my advice is too naive and is coming from a place of being ignorant of some a…

I think you might doing some disservice by not pointing out such things. Outsider's perspective can be very valuable to improve processes. Even if there are good reasons why things are how they are, you'll find out much faster why. Contrary to when interacting with people where advice is often simply not wanted, you are pretty much paid to treat an organization's problem as your own. Sometimes problems persist becaus…

> I think you might doing some disservice by not pointing out such things. Outsider's perspective can be very valuable to improve processes.

They absolutely can, and I make note of my thoughts during my early employment so I can revisit them once I'm more familiar with the context that things are done in.

I wait, though, because it's more effective to bring these things up once you're no longer so green. If my criticisms are legitimate, I can refine them to better match the circumstances in the workplace and so be of greater usefulness. Also, nobody likes or listens to the new guy telling everyone how they're doing everything wrong. The (legitimate) defense is "you don't understand the big picture". So I like to get the big picture.

None of this is to say that I keep completely silent. I'll totally question my colleagues about things that look off to me. I just won't press about them or push for change until I am standing on more equal ground.

But this changes depending on the nature of the employment. I've been talking about being a permanent employee. If I'm a temp or contractor, I am much more vocal about this stuff because very often, that sort of thing is what the company hiring the contractor is wanting.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#143

Post by pc86 »

lazide wrote: post #107
WalterBright wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Law of Supply and Demand. For example, open a lemonade stand in your neighborhood. Charge $20 a cup. See how it goes.

How about I run a bunch of fear ads and sell ammo for $20/box instead. I think we both know how it will go on that one.

A better example would be $500/box since $20/box is about market rate depending on the exact kind and caliber (assuming 9mm or 45 which is going to cover the overwhelming majority of handguns).

No ad is going to make $500/box for 9mm or 45 handgun ammunition seem reasonable.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#144

Post by vonwoodson »

p_j_w wrote: post #119
vonwoodson wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The difference between California, Texas, South Dakota, Maine, Ohio are as different as Turkey, France, Australia, Ireland, Japan... It's a really foolish opinion or disregard the immense diversity of 350,000,000 people, and (unfortunately) it's made all over the internet. "Why don't you just do X", totally papers over the extent of what just needs to happen. " Everyone should just do Y" is always bad policy. Just lo…

>The difference between California, Texas, South Dakota, Maine, Ohio are as different as Turkey, France, Australia, Ireland, Japan This is just so obviously not true on the surface. We all speak the same language at the very least, which isn't true for a single one of those countries you listed.

They speak French in Louisiana, German in Amish Country, Gullah in North Carolina... Your ignorance doesn't make you correct.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#145

Post by vonwoodson »

atoav wrote: post #135
vonwoodson wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The difference between California, Texas, South Dakota, Maine, Ohio are as different as Turkey, France, Australia, Ireland, Japan... It's a really foolish opinion or disregard the immense diversity of 350,000,000 people, and (unfortunately) it's made all over the internet. "Why don't you just do X", totally papers over the extent of what just needs to happen. " Everyone should just do Y" is always bad policy. Just lo…

I am aware that the US is not one monolithic block. To assume otherwise is a very US-thing to do. The rest of the world literally drowns in news about the US internal conflicts. But maybe I sould give an example: guns. I grew up in an European region where the percentage of gun owners is close to US levels, yet our last school rampage was a decade ago. The rural town I grew up in is famous for it's traditional gunsmi…

You, sir, are an idiot. Keep playing victim, though; I'm sure that'll work out for you.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#146

Post by WalterBright »

lazide wrote: post #138
WalterBright wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Go right ahead! Let us know how it turns out.

Been working out quite well even without the ads, actually.

Another poster said $20 was about market rate, so the example does not demonstrate that people will pay whatever you ask.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#147

Post by atoav »

vonwoodson wrote: post #145
atoav wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am aware that the US is not one monolithic block. To assume otherwise is a very US-thing to do. The rest of the world literally drowns in news about the US internal conflicts. But maybe I sould give an example: guns. I grew up in an European region where the percentage of gun owners is close to US levels, yet our last school rampage was a decade ago. The rural town I grew up in is famous for it's traditional gunsmi…

You, sir, are an idiot. Keep playing victim, though; I'm sure that'll work out for you.

Spoken by a cretin disqualified by their own disability to add substantial points to a debate.

Pro-Tip: If you aim to critique the points someone made, a sure way to come across like a total fool is to call the person names instead of saying anything useful. This is one of the things that says more about you than the person you attacked ; )

Re: Other People’s Problems

#148

Post by lazide »

WalterBright wrote: post #146
lazide wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Been working out quite well even without the ads, actually.

Another poster said $20 was about market rate, so the example does not demonstrate that people will pay whatever you ask.

It was half that pre-Covid.

‘Market rate’ is exactly what I’m talking about.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#149

Post by rovolo »

WalterBright wrote: post #59
bryanrasmussen wrote: post #10

My general experience is often people think problems are easy to solve from the outside because they just don't understand the problem. Thus you can often find communities of people with disabilities who understand the problems and the people from the outside who offer insulting and simple solutions to the problems. As soon as someone falls from group B into group A the problems stop becoming simple and easily solubl…

> often people think problems are easy to solve from the outside because they just don't understand the problem May I suggest the book "The Innovators Dilemma". Sometimes people who don't understand the problem manage to solve it in a much better way. https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Technologies-Manag...

The "better ways" listed in this book were often worse at the metrics the old solution was targeting. They won out because they gained flexibility by loosening requirements. Personal computers were worse than minicomputers, but they were so much cheaper that they largely won out. The book is focused on the solution provider, not the consumer. The old providers lose out because they don't understand what the consumer values. OP is saying that the provider may be misunderstand the problem the consumer has when they offer a simple solution.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#150

Post by snowpid »

vonwoodson wrote: post #144
p_j_w wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The difference between California, Texas, South Dakota, Maine, Ohio are as different as Turkey, France, Australia, Ireland, Japan This is just so obviously not true on the surface. We all speak the same language at the very least, which isn't true for a single one of those countries you listed.

They speak French in Louisiana, German in Amish Country, Gullah in North Carolina... Your ignorance doesn't make you correct.

while clearly the Amish language is related to German, it is not German spoken in Germany. Btw, all these people can speak English.
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